Tzatziki - Home Cooked Recipe #70

I have loved Greek food ever since I can remember.  I remember growing up in upstate NY and my favorite restaurant was Symeon's, a delicious Greek place.  My mom used to buy their house seasoning and make us chicken with it, and then make her homemade tzatziki.  A few years ago I looked up the restaurant online and found I could have the seasoning shipped here to FL.  For mother's day I shipped my mom a jar.  And I shipped one for myself!  Thinking about these food memories, I decided to come up with my own homemade Tzatziki recipe.  If you don't know what that is, it is a creamy cucumber dip.  It is delicious as a dip for veggies or pita bread, and it is even more tasty drizzled over Greek seasoned chicken (or pork, or beef, or lamb!).  It's healthier than a mayo or sour cream based dip. Easy to make, try it soon!


Tzatziki

Ingredients:

• 16 oz plain Greek yogurt
• 1 tablespoon sour cream
• 1 cucumber, peeled and seeded
• 1 teaspoon dried dill (or 1 tablespoon fresh, finely chopped)
• 1 garlic clove, finely minced
• salt and fresh ground black pepper
• ***optional - squeeze of fresh lemon juice, or lemon zest, or mint, finely chopped

Directions:
Grate cucumber.  Place in cheesecloth (or dish towel) in fine mesh sieve and squeeze out extra moisture.  Stir together yogurt and sour cream.  Add in minced garlic and and dill.  Fold in grated and drained cucumber.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve with veggies, pita, chicken, or gyro meat.
Enjoy!